Portable burial vault



July 2, 1935. H. F. HARRIS PORTABLE BURIAL VAULT Filed April 30, 1934 I MEN Tu W flaem v r w Y rm NE m Patented July 2, V

PATEN T oFricE e PORTABLE BURlAL VAULT Harold F. Harris, Durhamville, N. Y., assignor to- Maxwell Steel Vault Company, Oneida, N. Y., a

corporation of New York a Application'April 30, 1934, Serial No. 723,217

1 f 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a portableburial'vault for receiving and retaining a burial casket with or without a body therein preparatory to transportation or shipping.

'5 ""The main object is to provide simple and efiibeing opento permit the insertion cient means whereby the casket may beeasily and quickly but flrmly'nested and secured within the vault inbalanced relationthereto so that the vault with its contents'may be more conveniently handled or transported from one place to another with less liability of. impairment of those units than has heretofore been practised.

In other words, I have sought to prevent any appreciable relative horizontal or verticalm'ove- 'ment of the casket and vault when assembled in the manner hereinafter described during such handling or transportation. One of thespeciflc objects is to mount the cas-' v ket centrally upon a suitable supporting'base 'or frame and to enable said frame with the casket thereon to be inserted through the open end of the vault along and upon the bottom thereof with a sliding 'motion and interlocked therewith against relative vertical, lateral or horizontal movement and thereby to assure a fixed balanced relation between the casket'and vault.

Another specific object is to provide means, preferably in the form of cleats secured to the upper surface of the frame in such relation asto hold the casket centrally on the frame against relative horizontal movement.

Another object is to providecthe frame with:

suitable straps adapted to be passed around the top of the casket to hold the latter against vertical movement relatively to the frame.

Another object is to provide means whereby the rear end of the casket-supporting framewill be automatically interlocked with the corresponding end wall of the vertical movement.

A further object is to provide releasable means whereby the front end of the casket-supporting frame may be conveniently and expeditiously locked and released to and from the bottom of the vault.

Other objects and usesrelating to specific parts of the invention will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view partly in section, of a sheet metal burial vault and the casket-supporting frame with the casket thereon in operativeposition within the vault, one end of the vault and removal of the casket and its supporting frame. .7 a

Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly in section and partly broken away, of the lower portion of vault against relative ing the locking means for the front locking bar. Figure 3 is a perspective View, partlybroken away, of the detached casket-supporting frame.-

I Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View through the front 'end'of the bottom "wallland device for; locking the corresponding end of the frame in operative position. 1

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view or the lower rear end of the vault and adjacent portion of the casket-supporting frame together with the locking device for the rear end of the frame. i j

In order that the. invention may be clearly understood, I have shown a portion of a sheet metal vault'i open at one end and adapted to be closed by a suitable door, not shown, said vault comprising, in this instance a substantially flat bottom portion 2, opposite side portions 3, an end portion 4 and a top portion 5, all of which are.

provided with a flange or inner face thereof to project inwardly therefrom in spaced relation to and parallel with the bottom I to form a groove '5 having a vertical depth sub, stantially equal to thethickness of the casketsupporting base or frame, presently described.

A pair of similar internally threaded bosses or nuts 8 are welded or otherwise rigidly and perrna-1 nently secured to the upper face of the bottom I near the front end thereof to project upwardly therefrom and are arranged in a transverse plane parallel with the rear bar 6, said nuts being spaced apart transversely relatively to each other and to the side walls 3 of the vault to register with lengthwise openings in the casket-support- 7 ing frame previously mentioned.

Acasket-supporting frame 9 carrying a casket Ais inserted through the open end of the vault I along and upon the upper face of the bottom 2 to cause its rear end to enter the groove 1 in such manner that the flange or bar 6 will be in overhanging engagement with the upper face of the adjacent end of the frame 9,-as shown in Figures 1 and 5.

This frame '9 preferably consists of a plurality of, in this instance three, parallel boards or strips ll] arranged in transversely spaced relation to form intervening lengthwise slots or openings I I extending from end to end of the frame and adapted to receive the threaded bosses or nuts 8 when the framewith the casket thereon is inserted into the vault, the width of the frame being approximately equalto the distance between the side walls 3 which, together with the threaded,- bosses or nuts 8, serve to hold thejraine and vault against relative lateral movement.

A pair of lengthwise cleats l2 are secured by screws or other fastening means l3 to the upper face of the frame I in parallel transversely spaced relation a distance apart corresponding approximately to the width of the bottom of the casket A, said cleats being preferably arranged equal distances from the longitudinal center of the frame to hold the casket centrally on the frame against relative lateral movement thereon. An additional pair of end cleats M are's'ecured by screws or equivalent fastening means I 5 to'the upper surface of the frame 9 to extend trans versely thereof in parallel spaced relation a distance apart corresponding to the length of the bottom of the casket A to hold the latter against relative endwise movement thereon, said cleats M being arranged approximately equal distances from the ends of the frame for holding the casket midway between the end walls of the vault when the frame with thecasket thereon is nested within said vault in the manner shown in Figure 1. The frame 9 is of greater lengththan the bottom of the casket A to extend approximately equal distances beyond the opposite ends of said casket when the latter'is placed in operative position upon the frame between the end cleats M which are also arranged substantially equal distances from the ends ofv the frame to hold the casket centrally on the frame to balance the load carried by the frame.

The fixed nuts'8 are arranged a distance from the rear end 4 of the vault slightly less than the length of the frame 9 and are registered with the corresponding lengthwise openings H between the slats or strips I!) so that when the frame with the casket thereon is placed in operative position within the vault with its rear end underlying the flange or bar 6, the nuts 8 will be close to the front end of the frame but still in the adjacent ends of the openings H, as shown more clearly in Figure 4, thus permitting the use of suitable means for locking the front end of the frame to the bottom of the'vault to cooperate with the rear end of the vault for holding the frame against relative endwise movement.

This locking means preferably consists of a cross bar l6 and a pair of clamping bolts I], the bar l6 being preferably made in the form of. an, angle iron with one of its flanges arranged in a vertical plane and secured by screws H3 or equivalent fastening means to the front end of the slats or boards I0 and its other flange extended rearwardly in a horizontal plane in overhanging engagement with the upper surface of the adjacent; end of the frame, as shown more clearly in Figure4.

The overhanging flange as l6 of the locking bar I6 is provided with transversely spaced apertures l8 for receiving the clamping bolts H which, together with the apertures l8, are arranged a distance from the rear end edge of the frame 9 corresponding to the distance between the rear end 4'of the vault and threaded sockets 8' of the nuts 8 so that when the frame with the casket thereon is inserted into the vault through the open end thereof and the rear end of the frame is engaged with the end walls 4 of the vault, the clamping bolts I] will be registered with their respective threadedsockets 8 in the nuts 8, said clamping bolts being then screwed by hand into the nuts and against the upper face of the bar It to hold'the adjacent end of the frameagainst vertical movement relatively to the bottom of the vault.

A pair of longitudinally spaced straps I9 are passed transversely around the top and opposite sides of the casket and attached by screws 20 or equivalent fastening means to opposite lengthwise edges of the frame 9, said straps being preferably arranged equal distances from the ends of the casket when the latter is mounted on the frame 9 between the cleats I2 and M to hold the casket against vertical movement relatively to the frame.

Operation The frame 9, including the cleats l2 and I4 and locking bar 16, are preferably made up as a complete unit ready to receive the casket A which is placed thereon between the cleats l2 and I4 and secured thereto by means of. the straps l9 before the frame with the casket thereon is installed in the vault, it being understood that during this installation the clamping bolts I! will be disengaged from their respective nuts 8 and if desired may be temporarily removed from the bar I6.

When the casket A is mounted on the frame 9 in the manner described, said frame with the casket strapped thereto is inserted through the open end of the vault rearwardly along and upon the bottom 2 with a sliding motion until the rear end of the frame enters the groove 1 in underlying engagement with the fixed cross bar 5, thereby automatically locking the rear end of the frame and vault against relative vertical movement, it being understood that the rear end 4 of the vault serves to limit the rearward movement of the frame 9 at which time the apertures I 8 in the front cross bar IE will be registered with the threaded sockets 8 of the corresponding nuts 8, thus permitting the thumb screws or clamping bolts H to be passed through the apertures l8 and engaged with their respective nuts 8 for holding the front end of the frame and vault against relative vertical movement and at the same time holding the frame against accidental forward movement. v V

It will now be understood that when the casket A is mounted on the frame 9, it will be held against relative horizontal movement thereon by the cleats l2 and Hand will also be held against vertical movement relatively to the frame by means of the straps I9.

It will also be understood that when this frame with the casket thereon is inserted into the vault, it will be held against lateral movement through its engagement with the side walls of the vault and will also be held against endwise movement through the engagement of its opposite ends with the rear wall 4 and front cross bar [6 which, it will be remembered, is secured to the bottom of the vault through the medium of the clamping bolts I8 and nuts 8.

Under these conditions the frame will be held against vertical movement relatively to the bottom of the vault by the overhanging flanges of the cross bars 5 and Hi.

It is now clear that the casket A with its contents, if any, will be substantially balanced centrally upon the frame 9 and that this frame with the casket thereon when installed within the vault will also be substantially balanced centrally therein, all of which permits convenient handling of the vault and when the open end of the vault is closed the entire assembly may be transported from place to place without liability of relative shifting of the casket or frame within the vault, thus carrying out the main object of the invention.

It is evident, however, that various changes may 2,007,119 be made in the detail construction of the hold-.

ing means for the frame and casket without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being understoodthat when the frame 9 with the casket thereon from the vault, it is only necessary to withdraw the two clamping bolts l'l whereupon the frame with the casket thereon may be withdrawn endwise through the open end of the vault after which the straps l9 may-be detached from the frame to permit removalof the casket from said'frame.

The cleats l2 and M and front locking bar iii are preferably secured permanently to the slats ill in the manner described, the cross ceats M and bar is serving to hold the slats in relatively fixed spaced relation.

' What I claim is:

l. The combinationwith a portable burial vault, of a casket-supporting frame movable into and out of the vault; means for securing the casket to the frame, and means secured to one of, the walls of the vault to project inwardly therefrom in overhanging engagement with a portion of the frame to assist in holding said frame against upward movement relatively to the bottom of the vault.

2. The combination with a portable burial vault, of a casket-supporting frame movable into and out of the vault, means for securing thecasket to the frame, and a bar secured to one of the end walls of the vault to project inwardly therefrom in overhanging engagement with the corresponding end of the frame to assist in holding the frame against upward movement relatively to the bot- 7 tom of the vault.

3. The combination with a portable burial vault, of a casket-supporting frame movableinto and out of the vault, means for securing the casket to the frame, and means releasably secured to the bottom of the vault in overhanging engagement with a portion of the frame to assist in holding said frame against upward movement relatively to the bottom of the vault.

4. Thecombination with a portable burial vault, of a casket-supporting frame movable into and out of the vault, means for securing the casket to the frame, and a bar releasably secured to the bot-'. tom of the vault in overhanging engagement with a portion of the frame to assist in holding the ing the latter against endwise and lateral movement relatively to the frame;

6. Thecombination with a casket and a portable vault therefor having an opening in one end, of a supporting frame for said casket'movable through said opening along the bottom of the against relative upward displacement therefrom,

flanges on the vault in overhanging engagement with opposite ends of the frame for holding the frame against upward displacement relatively to said bottom, and means for releasably securing one of the flanges in place.

8. The combination with a portable burial vault,

of .means for holding a casket therein against relative movement comprising a frame adapted to from side to side the greater portion of the length thereof, means attached to the frame to hold the casket against upward displacementtherefrom, flanges securedto the vault in overhanging engagement with opposite ends of the frame to hold the latter against upward displacement from the bottom of the vault, and cleats secured to the frame to engage the opposite sides and ends of the casket for holding the latter against horizontal movement relatively to the frame.

9. The combination with a portable burial vault of means for holding a casket therein against rel ative movement comprising a frame adapted to rest upon the bottom of the vault and to extend from side to side the greater portion of the length thereof, means attached to the frame to hold the casket against upward displacement therefrom, means permanently secured to the vault for engaging one end of said frame to hold frame.

10. The combination with a portable burial vault, of a casket-supporting frame movable into and out of the vault, means for securing the casket to the frame, means secured to one of the walls of the vault to project inwardly therefrom in overhanging engagement with a portion of the frame to assist in holding said frame against upward movement relatively to the bottom of the vault, said frame having longitudinally extending out out portions, bosses extending upwardly from the bottom of the vault secured to the inner side thereof and adapted to register with said out out portions-when the frame with the casket thereon is slid endwise into the vault, and releasable means extending through the frame into engagement with said bosses to assist in holding said frame against upward movement tomof the vault.

11. The. combination with a portable burial vault, of a casket-supporting frame movable into and out of the vault, means for securing the casket to the frame, means secured to one of the walls of the vault to project inwardly therefrom in overrelatively to the bothanging engagement with a portion of the frame 

